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Travellers with disability often face discrimination. What should change and how to complain

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Australia’s former disability discrimination commissioner, Graeme Innes, has settled his dispute <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-23/adelaide-airport-graeme-innes-disability-discrimination-dispute/103375068">with Adelaide Airport</a>. His complaint to the Human Rights Commission was lodged after being denied access to a body scanner with his assistance dog in <a href="https://graemeinnes.com/2022/05/17/airport-discrimination-dash-i-am-angry-as-hell-and-im-not-going-to-take-it-anymore/">May 2022</a>. Unfortunately, Innes’ experience will resonate widely with Australia’s <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability">4.4 million people with disability</a>. “People with disability know how challenging air travel can be, and that experience needs to be more inclusive,” said Innes, who was disability discrimination commissioner for nine years and is on the board of the <a href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/board/board-profiles">National Disability Insurance Agency</a>. Experiences like Innes’ have been widely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/03/australias-airlines-and-airports-urged-to-improve-treatment-of-travellers-with-disabilities">reported</a> and have happened to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/graeme-innes-fights-to-change-how-disabled-people-are-treated-when-they-fly-20220516-p5alqs.html">prominent Australians with disability</a>. The everyday experience of air travel is likely even more shocking. Change is happening, but it is moving slowly. <h2>Airport and airline ableism</h2> The Human Rights Commission received more than <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">100 disability discrimination complaints against airlines</a> in the six years to 2022, including the period in which COVID restrictions saw air travel severely limited. Issues included: <ul> <li>assistance animal refusals</li> <li>inaccessible facilities</li> <li>inaccessible ticketing arrangements for people with vision impairments</li> <li>taxis and rideshare providers not turning up, long delays or refusing passengers with disability aids and/or assistance animals.</li> </ul> These issues highlight a system underpinned by unchallenged <a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">ableism</a> – discrimination that favours people without disability. <h2>Freedom of movement</h2> An important right under the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-20-personal-mobility.html">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> is freedom of movement. This right seeks to enable all people to be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">included in society in ways they self-determine</a>. Ableism in air travel is a fundamental denial of independence and freedom of movement. Discrimination can be even more blatant and offensive. People have been removed from flights or denied boarding because there are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">limits on the number of wheelchair users who can access an aircraft</a> or because they require additional support to access facilities. People with disability report the removal of, or damage to, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-31/virgin-airline-wheelchair-damage-broken-compensation/103010472">personal mobility equipment</a>, and lack of suitable equipment. In the most severe cases, people have been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australians-with-disabilities-suffer-dehumanising-treatment-at-airports-travel-news/b7de6139-258a-4e86-a615-031eb0e89074">injured during travel</a> or left stranded in dangerous circumstances. <h2>Inconsistency can fuel ableism</h2> Inconsistent policies and practices significantly impact travellers with disability. This is made worse by the fact that individual airlines and airports are encouraged by government to develop their own <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-access-forum-aaf/dafp">Disability Access Facilitation Plans</a>. So, it is not surprising when news reports highlight instances of assistance dogs being denied travel <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-15/jetstar-assistance-dog-policy-criticised/103221894">domestically</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/travel/jetblue-service-animal-dot-open-form.html">internationally</a>, even when they’ve <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-20/qantas-sued-over-assistance-dog/103223736">previously been approved</a> by other airlines. Lack of consistency, negative attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices in the air travel industry have resulted in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/singapore-airlines-disability-discrimination-amputee-b2301471.html">reportedly aggressive eviction of passengers</a> with disability from exit rows. Others report being told to “<a href="https://qdn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voice-of-Queenslanders-with-Disability-report.pdf">catheterise</a>” (to insert a tube through the urethra to the bladder) to avoid needing toilet facilities on an overseas flight. Many people with disability experience situations like Innes’ where they are subjected to alternative, sometimes undignified, processes. Ongoing experiences of ableism not only deny people with disability their rights to travel but can also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">damage their dignity</a>. Anticipation of discrimination can increase anxiety and stress for travellers with disability or prevent them travelling altogether. <h2>Slow reform</h2> These stories and many others point to the need for urgent reform. Stories shared by more than 60 participants in a special Disability Royal Commission session prompted its chair to <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/chair-writes-ceos-airlines-and-airports#:%7E:text=The%20Chair%20of%20the%20Disability,their%20experiences%20with%20air%20travel">write directly to the CEOs</a> of Australian airlines and airports, urging them to work on solutions. The review and modernisation of the <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/transport-disability-standards">2002 Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport</a> along with the upcoming release of the Australian government’s <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-white-paper">Aviation White Paper</a> could be key mechanisms to address systemic discrimination. But only if key recommendations from disability organisations and advocacy centres are adopted. They include: <ol> <li> <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/agp2023-submission-c170-australian-federation-of-disability-organisations-and-national-inclusive-transport-advocacy-network.pdf">specific standards</a> for air travel co-designed with people with disability and representative organisations. <a href="https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-04/Universal-Design-for-Transport-TAs-discussion-paper-20220421.pdf">Universal design</a> aims to make products and environments usable by all people, without adaptation. It can play an important role in overcoming the systemic barriers in infrastructure and service design to create more seamless and inclusive transport and air travel experiences </li> <li> <a href="https://piac.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PIAC-Submission-to-Aviation-Green-Paper.pdf">reportable and enforceable standards</a> and independent oversight, such as funding the Human Rights Commission to oversee compliance. </li> </ol> <h2>Complaints are just one route</h2> The exclusion of people with disability from seamless airline travel is a violation of their fundamental right to freedom of movement. Decades of travel horror stories in the media, continuing legislative reviews and national enquiries should bring change. Everyone should be able to make journeys with dignity and autonomy. People with disability deserve the same travel privileges as non-disabled Australians. Governments and the aviation industry will need to collaborate to implement comprehensive accessibility measures, ranging from wheelchair-friendly facilities to trained staff capable of providing appropriate assistance. Embracing inclusivity in air travel not only aligns with the principles of equity but also contributes to a society that celebrates diversity. For now, there are a number of ways to raise complaints, including with the individual airline or with the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints/make-complaint">Human Rights Commission</a>. Raising complaints with the Human Rights Commission can be completed by anyone who experiences discrimination. Legal support and advice may also be sought from some state-based legal aid organisations. While complaints are one mechanism for change, more proactive methods for change include the disability royal commission’s recommendation for the design and implementation of a <a href="https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/inside-the-disability-royal-commission-s-final-report">Disability Rights Act</a>, which would see human rights enshrined in legislation and facilitate barrier-free travel. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, Research Fellow Dignity Project, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, Professor, Director, Griffith Inclusive Futures, Griffith University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Inclusive Futures Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/travellers-with-disability-often-face-discrimination-what-should-change-and-how-to-complain-221740">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

Disabled customer "crushed" by Coles' new smart gate

A customer using a wheelchair has been crushed by Coles' new controversial smart gates, just months after it was rolled out in Aussie stores. The smart gates were added to self-serve check-outs across the country late last year as a security measure against thieves. The gates were installed with a range of other security measures in response to rising theft rates, including "CCTV, electronic article surveillance (EAS), and in some stores new smart gate technology that automatically opens as customers make payment for their products," according to a Coles spokesperson. But on Tuesday a customer, who chose to remain anonymous, said that one of the smart gates “slammed shut” on them and their wheelchair, while they were on their routine shopping trip with their son. After buying a few things the customer said that they were heading to the "wide open" gate, and their son passed through safely. But, when they tried to follow, the gate abruptly closed “hitting” their arms and “crushing” their wheelchair. The gate began to beep and only reopened when the customer pushed their way through. Fortunately, the customer was not injured but wanted to raise awareness on the issue. “I’ll be calling every day until SOMEONE tells me how to avoid being crushed next time,” they said. A few other annoyed customers slammed the "invasive" and "annoying" technology. “One literally snapped shut on our pram as we were pushing our kiddo through,” one person wrote on social media. “I’d walked out the store first, pram and husband following behind. Especially cause they make them too small for you to go side-by-side! “It’s insane, and I refuse to look at any self check out or check out with that in the path.” Another added: “Not long until an elderly person is knocked over by them and breaks their hip or similar." "It’s turning into a jail rather than a supermarket,” a third wrote. Image: Getty

Legal

Disabled woman dies after firefighters go to wrong address

A disabled woman has tragically died after being trapped in a burning home while firefighters went to the wrong address in an attempt to save her. Vivianne Rodger, who relies on using a wheelchair, called emergency services after her home in Victoria sparked a fire. She was then left for over two hours as firefighters, who were relying on a paper map, went to the wrong house trying to find her. When they eventually reached Ms Rodger, she was dead. According to a Victorian coroner, the blaze was "clearly avoidable" and she may have survived if they had arrived sooner, with their delayed response being directly linked to her death. The 54-year-old lived alone and was unable to move around independently after suffering a stroke and acquired brain injury, meaning she relied on a wheelchair and needed assistance to get in and out of bed. In the early hours of the morning on January 17th 2019, a service coordinator received a distressed call from the woman who said "my blanket is on fire", but the call was disconnected before more information was taken. Firefighters initially went to the wrong house on Ms Rodger's street, after becoming confused with the street numbers and using Melways, a printed street directory of Melbourne, to find the property. The process at the time was to send the fire station an A4 printout of the fire call with the address and a Melways reference. Fire crews didn't arrive at Ms Rodger's home until 5am, when smoke was billowing out of her home, and the woman was found dead in her bedroom. Coroner Paul Lawrie said the failure to find the correct address was "a missed opportunity to try to rescue Ms Rodger" and she would have had an "improved" chance of surviving if they found her sooner. He found the delays were "significant", "clearly avoidable" and questioned the fire brigade's reliance on Melways maps over a GPS map application. "It is also concerning that reliance on a Melway map may have contributed to the failure to identify the correct property," he wrote. The coroner urged for firetrucks to be equipped with modern navigation technology, and to implement policies, procedures and training to ensure firefighters can better identify the location of a call to prevent further deaths. Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Carer allowance and disability pension set to increase

Over 936,000 Aussies are set to see a cash boost in the new year, as indexation to government payments takes effect from January. Australians receiving youth, student or carer support will receive a 6 per cent boost to their payments, as additional support to help them navigate the rising cost of living. “Australia’s social security system is a safety net that is continually strengthened and improved to support all vulnerable Australians,” Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said. “Through regular indexation, our payments are adjusted in line with changes in the cost of living to retain their purchasing power.” For over 600,000 carers, the Carer Allowance is set to increase to $153.50 a fortnight, while the Disability Support Pension for Australians under 21 will increase by $31.10 to $44.90 a fortnight. Youth Allowance payments are also set to increase between $22.40 and $45.60 a fortnight, while Austudy payments will increase by between $36.20 and $45.60. The new year increases are being set into motion after a $40 a fortnight increase to youth and student payment rates, which was effective from September 20. A complete list of the new payment increases can be found on the <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/benefits-payments/previous-indexation-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Social Services website</a>. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Disabled woman slams bus driver who refused to let her onboard

A disabled woman has taken aim at a bus driver who refused to let her onboard a busy bus. The 23-year-old, who relies on a mobility scooter, sparked an online debate after recalling how a driver wouldn't let her on the Melbourne bus, as the vehicle was filled to capacity. “I’m so sorry,” the driver told Anastasiia Berezikova as she tried to board the bus. “I can’t take you on at this stage. The next one shouldn’t be too long. The bus is full, I am only allowed to take 75 passengers. So I can’t kick them off and let you on, it would be unfair.” While filming the interaction, the woman asked the bus driver if he “understands there are priority seats” available for disabled people on public buses. “I understand, but there are other people who got on the bus before you, and I can’t kick them out,” he replied. Ms Berezikova claimed “able-bodied people” had been prioritised in this instance, as she addressed those on the bus and asked, “So none of the able-bodied people want to help a disabled person?” Posting the interaction to TikTok, Ms Berezikova was met with mixed responses from viewers, as some people sided with her, while others sided with the bus driver. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7303018244124708103&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40seanympha888%2Fvideo%2F7303018244124708103%3Fembed_source%3D121355059%252C121351166%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_name%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Dwww.news.com.au%252Ftechnology%252Fonline%252Fsocial%252Fdisabled-woman-slams-melbourne-bus-driver-who-would-not-let-her-on-full-bus%252Fnews-story%252F085b4e9e53cb14a0e4b7e7709dfe934e%26referer_video_id%3D7303018244124708103&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2Fo0GXECFv58gXEkdZDBDAIfsxjfKAiCNI2wEafE%3Fx-expires%3D1701388800%26x-signature%3Dp2HoaXXYfdsIXHvvNvZLRcSoSbc%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> “You’re prioritised a seat/space on the bus if there is a space on the bus, they can’t just kick someone off that’s on before you,” one user wrote. “On the bus you get priority seating, yes. But you don’t get priority to ride - if it’s full it’s full they can’t just kick people off,” a second commenter wrote. “I’m a wheelchair user also. In this situation he did nothing wrong. You’re assuming people are discriminating you when they’re not,” a third wrote. Others were adamant the people on the bus were in the wrong by not offering her a seat. “Bloody hell how rude & inconsiderate are people nowadays they only think about themselves. They should’ve moved & stood up from the priority seat,” one wrote. In follow-up videos posted to TikTok, Ms Berezikova claimed that other travellers had boarded the bus at her stop after pushing in front of her, and that she had pleaded with them to make space for her. She also chose to reveal her medical history, which included being in a 12-day coma in July 2021 due to cardiac arrests caused by Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and subsequent motor skills, co-ordination, and speech issues. “I get it, it doesn’t matter to you that (myself) or others have special needs. What matters to you is that you get from point A to point B on time. I dont mind waiting for a second bus. Okay third. But fourth? Fifth?!” she wrote in the follow-up post. “And still face discrimination on the bus. If you think its okay to leave disabled people stranded that is NOT COOL ... I deserve to get on a bus like anyone else and infrastructure and society must allow that.” Image credits: TikTok / Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Heavily pregnant mum and disabled child kicked off plane

Siobhan Foster, her husband, and their disabled child were kicked off their flight after she was accused of being "aggressive" by a flight attendant. Foster, who is seven months pregnant, was onboard an easyJet flight to Ibiza to celebrate her brother's wedding. She struggled to find room for her carry-on in the overhead baggage compartment, so she asked a flight attendant to help her find space, but the response was reportedly "a sharp ‘Clearly Not’", which eventually led to a dispute. When things escalated, all 180 passengers were eventually told to disembark. One of Foster's outraged friends posted the <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/23859832/easyjet-passengers-kicked-off-pregnant-mum-stewardess-fight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> on social media, and the Newtonabbey mum was seen collecting hand luggage while struggling to carry her toddler. “We’re being thrown off the plane today because of somebody thinking they’re better than everyone else,” the friend said. The easyJet stewardess responded: “Bye, bye bye," as the upset family walked down the stairs. Foster took to Facebook to complain about her experience with "sleezy jet". “So, I asked could you help me find somewhere, her reply was ‘You’ll need to find somewhere yourself’ even though there literally was nowhere," she wrote. She then claimed that she asked for help again, because she was heavily pregnant, to which the flight attendant allegedly said: "You’re being abusive and it’s not my job to help you.” Another flight attendant reportedly backed up her co-worker, but Foster argued that other airlines have been more helpful as she is pregnant. “Writing this, I understand it would make you think was I being abusive, but I honestly wasn’t and the whole plane can vouch for me,” Foster wrote. “People were actually putting this on [Facebook] about how bad I was treated.” After eventually finding a place for her bag, the pregnant mum was allegedly confronted by two other crew members who also accused her of being “aggressive.” Foster decided to ignore them because she was "crying" and "so upset," but the flight attendant reportedly started raising her voice. They were then kicked off, and were told it was because of Foster's aggression, but when Foster’s mum and brother asked for an exact reason, the crew members allegedly couldn't give them a direct response. After an hour, everyone had to disembark and the family were met by eight police officers and two Swissport employees and were told they would not be allowed back on the flight, despite other passengers being allowed back in. “So, that whole day we were in Belfast airport from one lunchtime to nine that night with our child, my legs were so swollen and sore with being on them all this time I was crying uncontrollably that this was happening to us for no reason whatsoever. “I’m so traumatized to the point I don’t know how I’ll ever fly again,” she wrote on Facebook. EasyJet has denied any wrongdoing and a spokesperson told the Daily Mail that "a group of passengers were "behaving disruptively." “EasyJet’s cabin crew and ground agents are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. “The Captain took the decision to ask all passengers on the flight to return to the terminal so the situation could be resolved and as soon as it was they re-boarded and the aircraft continued to Ibiza.” Despite the incident, the Foster family eventually made it to Ibiza the next day, just in time for the wedding, after catching a RyanAir flight out of Dublin. “Thankfully we got to Ibiza and made my brother’s wedding to say how stressed, upset, and overwhelmed I’ve been I honestly think I’ve no words,” she wrote. “EasyJet should be ashamed of themselves and I most definitely am taking this further, I’m still in shock of how we were treated especially being seven months pregnant and having a disabled child with us.” Images: Facebook

Travel Trouble

Ableism and disablism – how to spot them and how we can all do better

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/angel-dixon-1412256">Angel Dixon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-kelly-1436986">Katie Kelly</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> When the 2022 Australian of the Year was announced, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-defining-moments-of-dylan-alcotts-time-as-australian-of-the-year/anpkgw2gw">Dylan Alcott</a> wheeled onto the stage. Australian audiences are tuning in to watch TV shows featuring people with disability: <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/you-can-t-ask-that/series/7/video/LE2021H003S00?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMCoiYLY_gIVl1l9Ch2plwHkEAAYASAAEgKiC_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">You Can’t Ask That</a>, <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/love-on-the-spectrum">Love on the Spectrum</a> and <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/employable-me-australia">Employable Me</a>. The Disability Pride movement is gaining momentum and people with disability are becoming part of the diversity conversation. On the surface, it would appear we have come a long way in our collective attitudes towards disability. But two of society’s biggest “-isms” still go largely <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-27/harry-styles-concerts-marvel-stadium-accessibility-chloe-hayden/102025124">unnoticed and unaddressed</a>: ableism and disablism. What do these terms mean? And how can we all do better to dismantle them? <h2>Two types of discrimination</h2> Ableism and disablism both refer to types of disability discrimination. The nuance between the two words can cause confusion but are important for acknowledging, detecting, and dismantling the types of barriers people with disability encounter. <a href="https://www.attitude.org.au/uploads/120/Perspective%20Shift_Series%201_Study%20Guide_Nov_FINAL.pdf">Ableism</a> is discrimination that favours “able-bodied” people, or people without disability. Ableism prioritises the needs of people without disability. A building designed without a ramp or a lift for people who require them, a lack of captions for a meeting, and stadiums without <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/what-is-a-sensory-space-and-why-are-they-so-important-20230227-p5cnwy.html">low-sensory spaces</a> are all examples of ableism. <a href="https://www.sense.org.uk/information-and-advice/ableism-and-disablism/">Disablism</a> is the inherent belief that people with disability are inferior to those without disability. It is discrimination against people with disability, like those shared in the <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2022-03/Issues%20paper%20-%20Rights%20and%20attitudes.pdf">Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability</a>. Disablism can be a more direct, conscious act of discrimination and abuse. Using disability slurs, ignoring someone, or speaking in a patronising way are common examples. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Weekly reminder: If your event doesn't have a virtual option, it's not inclusive or accessible. Thank you for coming to my Twitter talk on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ableism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ableism</a> — chantzy (@chantz_y) <a href="https://twitter.com/chantz_y/status/1653033877105934339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <h2>Ingrained and everywhere</h2> If we are honest, we can acknowledge ableism and disablism are ubiquitous in our language, our homes, children’s stories, media, at work and in our daily social interactions. Indeed, ableism and disablism can be so ingrained in our daily lives that most people are unaware of them. Both forms of discrimination can be subtle and insidious, making them difficult to detect and address. They often operate at systemic levels and are not identified as discrimination. A good example of systemic ableism is the forced segregation of people with disability into <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2022-03/Issues%20paper%20-%20Education%20and%20learning.pdf">“special” schools or “sheltered” workplaces</a> through limited choice and structural support of these options. Although the process of forcing people into these options no longer occurs in such blatantly disrespectful ways, the result is the same. Ableist and disablist attitudes are frequently encountered in daily conversation. Subtle ableism manifests in the use of well-intended “empathetic” comments, like “I can’t imagine losing my eyesight. That would be the worst.” These remarks, even when intended to prompt a connection between two people, reveal deep-seated beliefs and create a greater divide. People with disability, along with other marginalised communities, categorise these types of interactions as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2020/07/when-and-how-to-respond-to-microaggressions">microaggressions</a>”. Disablist attitudes are more overt. Comments like “If you are unable to walk down the ramp then you shouldn’t have gotten tickets to this concert” demonstrate the low expectations and damaging beliefs that impact on people’s opportunities for education, employment and social interaction. <h2>Challenging but worth it</h2> Combating disablism and ableism is a great challenge but one that is worthwhile. A broad spectrum of challenges is at play: confronting and disrupting the status quo, valuing diverse types of knowledge and experience and acknowledging the unconscious biases we all have. At a systemic and societal level, the way we design and deliver systems, polices, virtual and physical environments, products and experiences need to be co-designed in partnership with people with disability – or better yet, through disability-led initiatives. Generating new ideas and better ways of working will contribute to improvements in daily life for all people – just like ramps benefit parents pushing prams and people using mobility aids. The emphasis on <a href="https://anzsog.edu.au/research-insights-and-resources/research/the-promise-of-co-design-for-public-policy/">co-design</a> and engagement with people with disability is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1440-1630.12847">increasingly prevalent</a>. However, it is critical to conduct co-design in ways that are not tokenistic and don’t merely validate current practice. Frameworks like the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1440-1630.12847">Dignity Project Framework</a>, which includes principles of importance for engaging with people with disability, can better support a dignified process of co-design and citizen partnership. <h2>‘Not yet disabled’</h2> At an individual level, we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive future. Disability has been called the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities.html">world’s largest minority</a> and is a group any person can join at any time in their life. The late disability rights activist <a href="https://judithheumann.com/">Judith Heumann</a> preferred to use the term “not yet disabled” to emphasise that we will all experience impairment and disability at some stage. Thus, we may all confront ableism and disablism at some point. The way to prepare for that time is to actively acknowledge and challenge personal biases, learn about and advocate for accessibility and inclusion in the spaces where you live, work and play and amplify the voices of people with disability at every opportunity. As advocate <a href="https://tiltingthelens.com/about-us/#:%7E:text=As%20a%20passionate%20writer%2C%20podcast,of%20Fashion%2C%20and%20many%20more.">Sinead Burke from Tilting the Lens</a> says in <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/vogue-disability-portfolio-2023">British Vogue’s</a> May issue, "Accessibility and disability inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and opportunity. This is a movement, not a moment. And it involves all of us.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204541/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />" <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, Research Fellow Dignity Project, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/angel-dixon-1412256">Angel Dixon</a>, Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, Professor, Director, Griffith Inclusive Futures, Griffith University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-kelly-1436986">Katie Kelly</a>, Research fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">original article</a>.

Caring

Woman slams parking note asking if she was “truly disabled”

A driver has been left fuming after an “entitled” parking note was left on her mother’s car accusing them of misusing a disabled parking spot. Canberra resident Cheyenne took to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/canberra/comments/12x8cr9/the_absolute_gall_to_leave_this_on_my_mothers_car/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a> to share her horrific experience and a photo of the note left on her mother’s car. “Hi, are you truly disabled,” the note read. “You both walked from your car like athletes. Please follow the rules.” Cheyenne who was left fuming at the situation captioned the post with “The absolute gall to leave this on my mother’s car in Gungahlin shops parking.”. She then explained: “My mother is disabled, her disability isn’t visible. She was legally given a disability parking permit because she is DISABLED! What a moron”. Speaking to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-woman-slams-entitled-parking-note-how-dare-they-041811992.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News Australia</a>, Cheyenne said that “it’s frustrating” because her mum doesn’t look like she has a disability, even though she has “multiple”. She also explained that her mum has suffered with a polycystic kidney and liver. After a kidney transplant caused further health issues, she was granted a disability badge. "Because she has all of her limbs and is able-bodied, many people have the wrong idea and get entitled," Cheyenne added. Other Reddit users have shared similar experiences. “I have arthritis in my spine and elsewhere – disabling, yet completely invisible. Have had old women yell at me for parking in the disabled spots, despite having a permit,” one user wrote. “My mother recently had surgery so she’s not able to drive. Ordinarily she has a disabled permit anyway. I picked her up from a doctor's checkup and a woman gave me a serve for parking in the disabled bay as I was picking up my mum. People are so quick to judge,” wrote another. “I’m sorry you found this note on your car. There’s no need to ever justify why you have a disabled ‘sticker’. It’s no-one’s business but your own,” commented a third. Images: Reddit

Caring

Outrage after Aus Post driver caught parking in disability spot

A Queensland Australian Post worker has sparked outrage after parking his car at a shopping centre car park, leading to a quick response from the company. A disgruntled Karalee local saw the Aus Post van parked in the disability spot and said the contractor’s “unacceptable” act led to an elderly woman missing out on the much-needed spot. Posting to the Australian Disability Parking Wall of Shame Facebook page, the woman wrote, "Driver’s laziness led to elderly lady with a permit having to park opposite and hobble across the road." The van was parked outside the Karalee Chempro Chemist. The post prompted many to weigh in, with some users bringing up other Australia Post parking concerns they’ve seen around their local areas. “At my local shops here in Perth one of the thatched areas besides an ACROD bay is marked that Australia Post vehicles are permitted to park in it which I also believe is wrong and this is definitely inexcusable," one man wrote. The Facebook post has since been deleted. Australia Post issued an apology as soon as they were made aware of the situation. "We sincerely apologise for the actions of this delivery contractor and any inconvenience caused," an Australia Post spokesperson said in a statement. "This lapse in judgement falls well below the high standards we expect of our team members. "It’s especially disappointing given Australia Post prides itself on its commitment to inclusion and diversity both across our workforce and within our communities. We’ve spoken to the contractor and taken steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” According to Yahoo, both the man driving the van and all Australia Post contractors copped a strong reminder that they cannot park in disability spots without a permit. Image credit: Facebook

Legal

"Broke my heart": Mum's outrage at stranger's comment about her disabled son

A Sydney mother has shared her shock and outrage after a stranger made "rude" comments about her son. Tori Boyadji and her friend Lyndal were walking through Collaroy Park in Sydney's north with Tori's two-year-old son Isaac, who has Down syndrome. The friends were stopped by a woman who looked at Isaac and exclaimed, "Ohh is this a little downsie?" Tori, 28, went on to recount how the stranger said she would "never want a kid with Down syndrome" herself. Ms Boyadji told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-mum-tori-boyadji-shocked-by-strangers-taunt-to-her-son/news-story/d8e3ee46ad9ed07ded6776987ff220f7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that the stranger's comments left her feeling very upset. "Lyndal and I just looked at each other in disbelief – I’m not easily offended but this comment truly broke my heart," she said. "Why would you say that to two mums with their adorable kids right there?" Tori said Isaac is just like any other toddler, as he loved The Wiggles and going to the beach. "He also happens to have Down syndrome — but this is the least interesting part of him," she said. Rhonda Faragher, Associate Professor of Inclusion and Diversity at Queensland University, weighed in on the exchange, and shared her thoughts that the major issue lays with the fact that people believe those with Down syndrome need to change in some way. "In my view, it's not the language itself, it's what's behind the language," she explained to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/sydney-mums-shock-at-strangers-rude-comment-about-disabled-son-073246046.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News Australia</a>. "That somebody in the community would feel [a child with Down Syndrome] would not be a child they'd like to have in their family without even knowing the child." "I think it's [disappointing] that other people don't understand that this is not a tragedy," she added. "Having a person with Down syndrome in your family, in your life, is actually a terrific blessing." Image credits: Instagram

Caring

“Doesn’t seem okay to me”: Police slammed for parking in disabled spot

NSW Police have come under fire after an outraged Sydney driver called out a patrol car that was parked in a disabled parking spot. A furious driver spotted the police vehicle outside a state election early-voting centre in Mascot on Monday, and snapped a photo of the Hyundai Sonata police car in the clearly labelled disabled parking zone. They then posted the picture to Reddit, with the infuriated motorist captioning the post, “Police parking in a disabled spot so they can vote in Mascot. Where should I complain?” “I have no issue with them voting while on the clock, I do have an issue with them having to park in a disabled spot,” the driver commented. “They have five more days to vote, even if they can’t find time when they’re not working, they can at least wait until they’re not disadvantaging a disabled person.” The driver, who has firsthand experience of battling to claim a disabled parking space for their chronically ill parent, called out the brazen officers for not thinking how this act could significantly impact accessibility requirements for people with disabilities. “My mum had MS and this kind of sh*t would mean we’d need to turn around and go home,” they said. “For people with severe and debilitating disabilities, these spots are vital to them even being able to leave the house. Blocking a spot so they can vote in an election that isn’t until the weekend doesn’t seem okay to me. “There were no other spots between there and the polling station. The election isn’t now, or even tomorrow. (The officers) had time to wait for a non-disabled spot.” The post went viral on Reddit, with a spokesperson for NSW Police saying they’re looking into the situation after being notified about the incident. The comments on the post were divided after many people sided with the officers, saying officers on patrol should be remaining close to their vehicles in case of an emergency. “Arguably, emergency services are probably better off parking in convenient accessible locations,” one person said. “I agree a disabled spot sounds a bit sh*tty, but you wouldn’t want them having to rush to level 4 of a nearby multi-story carpark to take an urgent call like a domestic violence response.” “It’s very important for the officers to (be) close to their patrol car in case of an emergency. Stop having a whinge,” another comment read. Meanwhile, others were more sympathetic towards the person who posted the photo and agreed the officers should have parked elsewhere. “As a disabled person, this is really disappointing to read,” one person said. “I greatly appreciate someone sticking up for people like myself. Not a lot of people will.” Another supporter added, “Yeah that’s not on. I have a disability and I’m tired of people parking in our spots when they don’t have a disability.” According to the NSW state government website, “heavy fines apply for stopping in spaces reserved for people with disabilities, or using a permit that infringes its conditions of use.” Image credits: Reddit

Legal

How on-demand buses can transform travel and daily life for people with disabilities

People with disabilities arguably stand to gain the most from good public transport, but are continually excluded by transport systems that still aren’t adapted to their needs as the law requires. <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">One in six people</a> aged 15 and over with disability have difficulty using some or all forms of public transport. One in seven are not able to use public transport at all. Under the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125">Disability Discrimination Act 1992</a>, Australia’s public transport systems were expected to be fully compliant with the 2002 <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility">Transport Standards</a> by December 31 2022. Not only have many of our bus, train and tram systems <a href="https://www.disabilitysupportguide.com.au/talking-disability/public-transport-remains-inaccessible-as-20-year-targets-are-not-met">failed to meet these targets</a>, but the standards themselves are outdated. The standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">under review</a> and public consultation has begun. For buses, the standards <a href="https://www.mcw.com.au/why-public-transport-operators-must-review-their-vehicles-in-2022/">largely focus on the vehicles themselves</a>: low-floor buses, wheelchair ramps, priority seating, handrails and enough room to manoeuvre. But just because a vehicle is accessible doesn’t necessarily mean a bus journey is accessible. There are difficulties getting to and from the bus, limited frequency of accessible services, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17450101.2022.2126794">poor driver training, passenger conflict</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">travel anxiety</a> and a lack of <a href="https://www.inclusivecitymaker.com/transport-accessibility-intellectual-disability/">planning for diversity</a>. In all these ways, bus travel excludes people with disabilities. <div data-id="17"> </div> Infrastructure alone cannot overcomes these issues. <a href="https://translink.com.au/travel-with-us/on-demand">On-demand transport</a>, which enables users to travel between any two points within a service zone whenever they want, offers potential solutions to some of these issues. It’s already <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/viavan-on-demand-transport/">operating</a> in <a href="https://ringandride.org/">cities</a><a href="https://www.bcgomi.com/">overseas</a> and is being <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">trialled in Australia</a>. <h2>Accessible vehicles are just the start</h2> Making vehicles accessible is really only the tip of the iceberg. Focusing only on infrastructure misses two key points: <ol> <li> our public transport journeys begin before we board the service and continue after we’ve left it </li> <li> accessibility means providing people with quality transport experiences, not just access to resources. </li> </ol> Let’s imagine a typical suburban bus journey. It is industry accepted that passengers are <a href="https://australasiantransportresearchforum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2013_rose_mulley_tsai_hensher.pdf">generally willing to walk about 400 metres</a> to a bus stop. That is based, of course, on the assumption that passengers are able-bodied. Long distances, steep hills, neglected pathways, few kerb cuts and poorly designed bus shelters all hinder individuals with disabilities from getting to the bus in the first place. This issue resurfaced in the 2020 report <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">People with Disability in Australia</a>, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. More than one in four respondents with disabilities said getting “to and from stops” was a major obstacle to using public transport. But other barriers to making services inclusive are even more difficult to see. People with disabilities are forced to plan extensively when to travel, how to travel, who to travel with and what resources they need to complete the journey. Even the best-laid plans involve <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">added emotional energy or “travel anxiety”</a>. <h2>What solutions are there?</h2> <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">On-demand transport</a> offers potential solutions to some of these issues. Its key feature is flexibility: users can travel between any two points within a service zone, whenever they want. This flexibility can be harnessed to design more inclusive bus services. Without a fixed route or timetable, on-demand services can pick up passengers at their home and drop them directly at their destination. This door-to-door service eliminates the stressful journey to and from a bus stop and their destinations. And with services available on demand, users can plan their travel to complement their daily activities instead of the availability of transport dictating their daily activities. The technology behind on-demand transport also helps reduce the need for customers to consistently restate their mobility needs. Once a customer creates a profile, extra boarding and alighting time is automatically applied to all future bookings. This eliminates the exhaustive process of added planning, and enables drivers to deliver a better experience for all of their passengers. <h2>Examples of on-demand services</h2> Cities around the globe are already using on-demand services to overcome transport disadvantage for people with disabilities. BCGo is one such service in Calhoun County, Michigan. A recent yet-to-be-published survey of BCGo users shows 51% of respondents face mobility challenges that affect their ability to travel. Some 30% have “conditions which make it difficult to walk more than 200 feet” (61m). That means the industry’s assumed walkable distance (400m) is 6.5 times the distance that’s realistically possible for many users of the service. Ring & Ride West Midlands is the UK’s largest on-demand project. It operates across seven zones with over 80 vehicles. The service, recently digitised using <a href="https://www.liftango.com/">Liftango</a>’s technology, is designed to provide low-cost, accessible transport. It can be used for commuting, visiting friends, shopping and leisure activities. Ring & Ride serves as an example of how on-demand service can provide sustainable and equitable transport at scale. It’s completing over 12,000 trips per month. <h2>A call to action for Australian governments</h2> Government policy needs to address not only inadequate bus infrastructure, but those invisible barriers that continue to exclude many people from bus travel. We need a cognitive shift to recognise accessibility is about creating quality experiences from door to destination for everyone. This needs to be paired with a willingness to explore solutions like on-demand transport. Transport authorities worldwide are already embracing these solutions. We cannot continue to rely on the community transport sector to absorb the responsibility of providing transport for people with disabilities, particularly as <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-simple-changes-to-our-neighbourhoods-can-help-us-age-well-83962">our populations age</a>. Now is the time to have your say. The Transport Standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">open for public consultation</a> until June 2023. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-on-demand-buses-can-transform-travel-and-daily-life-for-people-with-disabilities-199988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

Woman slammed for asking disabled man to move on the bus

A woman has been slammed online for asking a disabled man on a bus to move so that she and her daughter could sit together. The 32-year-old mother took to Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole?” platform to ask social media users if she was in the wrong. In the post, she wrote that her and her five-year-old daughter boarded the bus at a “busy stop”, noting that “there were no empty seats available, except for one near a person using a wheelchair” – who she described as a man aged about 40. “I asked the person if [he] could move [his] wheelchair to another spot so that my daughter and I could sit together, but the person declined,” she wrote. The man in the wheelchair responded to her request and said no, saying he needed the space for his “mobility device”. “I was taken aback and frustrated by his response,” she wrote. She told the man that her daughter “was very young and needed to sit next to me for safety reasons” – yet the person still “refused to move”. “I ended up having to stand for the entire ride with my daughter in tow, which was uncomfortable and tiring for both of us,” she said. The woman recalled how she told her friend about the public transport incident, to which her friend told her she was being “insensitive and ableist”. The writer’s friend told her “that the person in the wheelchair had a right to the space” he needed, and “that it was unfair” of her to ask the man in the wheelchair to move on such a crowded bus. “Now, I’m questioning whether or not I was wrong for asking the person to move,” the mother concluded her post. The post, which has racked up thousands of comments, was flooded by horrified users questioning how someone could ask a disabled person to move out of their designated space. “Imagine being so entitled that you genuinely think standing up on your perfectly good, working legs is so awful and tiring that you ask someone who is physically unable to stand to get out of your way,” one person wrote. “The five-year-old could have just stood. Seriously, when did five-year-olds become so fragile that they can’t stand for a bus trip. Parenting like this damages children. They are being taught that they are pathetic,” someone else wrote. Another person defended the mum’s insistence that her daughter be able to sit down for the bus ride. “It’s about safety. Children can easily fall in buses because they can’t reach the places to hold onto, since those are made for adults,” they wrote. But others who “used to take the bus a lot” declared that “mothers with kids are the most entitled bus users [that] exist”. “One can only hope [the woman] comes to realise how lucky she is she can even stand and walk without any trouble at all, and that the next time there are no seats on the bus, she would just suck it up for a few minutes of the ride,” one wrote. Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Disabled woman dragged off train by police

A disabled woman has been dragged off a train by police officers and station security in Adelaide, as horrified commuters captured the incident on video. On Saturday evening, travellers filmed the altercation between the woman, who uses a wheelchair, and police officers, as the officers were seen dragging the woman off the Adelaide Metro service and onto the platform. “She’s disabled and you’re going to drag her like that?” a witness is heard asking. The woman was moved to a bench on the platform, and is seen pushing the officers away when they try to talk to her. The officer then appears to push her back before he holds her down on the bench. In a statement, SA Police told NCA NewsWire that uniformed patrols were called to the Adelaide Railway Station following reports of a disturbance on the train. “Two people on the train were smoking and forcing the train doors open, they were asked to leave by security however refused to get off,” the spokesperson said. “Police attended and the pair still refused to get off the train and continued to act in a disorderly manner.” “A police officer attempted to push the wheelchair off the train; however the suspect stood up and pushed the officer in the chest.” Police said the 47-year-old disabled woman was issued with an adult caution for failing to comply with directions to leave a vehicle and resisting arrest. Despite public outcry of inappropriate behaviour on the video, SA Police say the actions of the officer were appropriate. “The police officer's body-worn footage has been reviewed and we believe their actions were both appropriate and reasonable in response to this incident.” Image credits: 7News

Travel Trouble

Disability pensioner calls himself the "unluckiest" lotto winner

When a disability pensioner struck gold playing the lotto, he thought his luck was starting to turn, until a harsh ruling from Centrelink put a swift end to his celebrations. Craig Hill had never won anything playing the lotto, until his numbers finally came up last month. While it wasn't "the big prize", Hill claimed the second division win in The Lott's "Set for Life" draw. "The main prize is $20,000 a month for 20 years. But this was second division, which is $5000 a month, for 12 months," Hill said. It was a tidy sum of $60,000 to help pay off the mortgage. "It's probably the dream of every Australian to win," Hill told A Current Affair. "I'm very disappointed. I mean, you only ever win the lottery once. It's not a big prize." After he was notified of his winnings, he thought he would do the right thing and tell Centrelink of the money he was soon coming in to. "Initially, they said 'it's a lottery win, so therefore it doesn't affect your pension'," he recalled. "I rang back later and (they) said, 'because you're a professional gambler now, you're getting paid monthly, it does affect your pension'." If The Lott had paid Hill his winnings as one lump sum, it wouldn't have affected his fortnightly pension payments. But because his winnings are being paid over 12 months, Centrelink considers it an income from professional gambling. As a result, his pension has now been slashed from around $820 a fortnight to just $328, with his wife's carer's payment has been affected too. "When I said I wanted it reviewed, they said are 'we going to apply the $5000 to your wife's carers allowance … because that's welfare as well'," Hill said. Because of the lotto win, the couple is losing around $2000 a month. The pensioner tried to ask The Lott to pay the money as a lump sum, but was told it didn't meet its criteria for an exceptional circumstance. Now he's hoping for changes to be made to the rules. "It has taken me 40 years to win a prize of the lottery … apart from $8 last week," Hill said. "At 61 I really haven't got another 40 years to wait to win another one." Craig's message to Centrelink is, "I'm not your enemy." "I'm just a bloke that's struggling to make a living," he said. Image credits: A Current Affair

Money & Banking

Disabled woman slams Jetstar for “extremely humiliating” treatment

A woman has said she was humiliated at the end of her flight after Jetstar staff couldn’t provide her with a wheelchair for her, forcing her to leave the plane by crawling. Natalie Curtis has been in a wheelchair since high school but said she has never been as humiliated as she was left to crawl to her wheelchair after flying from Singapore to Bangkok. While she was provided a standard “aisle” wheelchair to board the plane, Ms Curtis was told she would have to pay to use another chair to get off the plane - a service which is usually free. “I didn’t really comprehend it and I was like, ‘No, I’m not paying to be able to get off this plane’,” Ms Curtis told Sunrise. With her friend Natasha Elford unable to carry her due to a knee injury, Ms Curtis crawled on the floor past eight rows until she could reach her chair. “It was extremely humiliating,” she said. Ms Elford said she was in shock while watching the ordeal and that she was “absolutely gutted”. “I was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’” she told the program on Monday. “I couldn’t physically lift her so I felt really hopeless and I couldn’t believe this was really happening.” She added that she tried to find out if a wheelchair could be fast tracked to Ms Curtis, but said the flight attendants “didn’t really try to do anything”. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnatalie.hodges.50%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ewJHd3156WaV46vd8LHJWCwLrxBQraSgSfAP1dZqcfPc47oo4WkNmCj7VWjda6Rl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="393" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> A spokesperson for the budget airline said Jetstar had sincerely apologised to Ms Curtis and had offered her a refund and additional compensation. “We unreservedly apologise to Ms Curtis for her recent experience while travelling with us,” they said. “We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all our customers, including those requiring specific assistance.” The spokesperson added that Jetstar staff don’t charge for using a wheelchair, and that an inquiry into the incident had found a language barrier led to the miscommunication of a fee. “At no point was an aisle chair withheld due to a request for payment,” they said. Ms Curtis isn’t the only person to have experienced such an incident over wheelchair use, and her experience comes as disability advocates call for a complete overhaul of the treatment of passengers by airlines. In August, Brad Wszola had to be carried by his wife and a staff member over the gap between the air bridge and the Jetstar plane he was trying to board to fly from Darwin to Cairns, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/06/second-class-citizen-man-lifted-on-to-plane-as-darwin-airport-had-no-ramp-for-wheelchair-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. “Watching these people having to lift me, to bend down, Jen had to bend down below the level of the floor of the plane, bend over and grab the bottom of the aisle chair to lift me … That put myself at risk, also the staff at risk and Jenny at risk,” Mr Wszola said. “She was the one helping lift me into the plane.” Mr Wszola even encountered issues prior to leaving Darwin, with his wheelchair being sent to the baggage carousel rather than the air bridge on his arrival. After his wife made multiple requests via email to Darwin airport and Jetstar, she was told a ramp wasn’t provided to bridge the gap as it was a low-cost airline - but a ramp has since been provided to the airport after The Guardian contacted Jetstar. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Just made a cute little video about how <a href="https://twitter.com/Qantas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Qantas</a> broke my wheelchair and won’t fix it 🙃🙃🙃🙃 <a href="https://t.co/CnFXazJ1ox">pic.twitter.com/CnFXazJ1ox</a> — Zoe Simmons | she/her (@ItbeginswithZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ItbeginswithZ/status/1577502974796247041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote> Earlier this month, Qantas reversed its decision not to refund Zoe Simmons, whose wheelchair was damaged on a flight from Sydney to Canberaa, after she took her complaints to social media. In a column for <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/disability-advocate-lashes-qantas-over-broken-wheelchair/news-story/72ae759ca7960ab607610c5ebd6c8bca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>, Simmons explained that damage to her chair brakes had left it “unusable” and was initially told Qantas wouldn’t reimburse her or repair her chair, which she needs as someone living with the nerve disorder fibromyalgia. “I am so angry that this is how wheelchair users are treated by airlines, over and over. And it’s not just Qantas: it’s a systemic issue, because the system is so very broken,” she wrote. With the airline reaching out to apologise and offering to pay for her wheelchair repairs, Simmons questioned whether she would have received such a response if she hadn’t taken matters into her own hands. “I wonder: would this resolution have occurred, had I not made a fuss about it?” she wrote. “I shouldn’t have to hope to be an exception to the norm. The norm should be that disabled people are looked after, treated well, and able to get the same resolution I’ve been able to get here.” Image: Sunrise

Travel Trouble

"I am devastated": Disabled boy's modified tricycle stolen

A tricycle that has been modified to service a child with severe disabilities has been stolen from his front yard, just days after he received it. Mayer Dow, a 12-year-old boy who lives with Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, had waited years for the custom-designed piece of equipment, only for it to be stolen from his place in Melbourne. "I am devastated," Mayer's mother Rosalie told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/boy-with-disability-has-specially-built-tricycle-stolen-melbourne/d34cd40d-00e5-453c-b65d-9a6a80319c9d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. "I really don't understand. I understand desperate people do desperate things." The tricycle was specifically designed for Mayer's special needs, as using it is the only exercise he gets aside from using his walking frame. Rosalie said it took years of special requests and paperwork to get him the trike, making it useless to the thieves as it has been heavily customised to meet Mayer's needs. After being diagnosed with Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, a rare disorder which affects his intellectual and physical development, Mayer was unable to take part in simple childhood activities like riding a bike, until he received his tailor-made tricycle. "He is extremely excited because he's seen other people riding a bike and he's never had the capacity," Rosalie said. The devastated mother said she simply wants the tricycle returned, as the theft has been reported to Victoria Police. Image credits: 9News

Caring

Not just ramps and doorways – disability housing is about choosing where, how and who you live with

Home ownership among young people is falling sharply, while renters face worrying insecurity. Nowhere is this more pronounced than for the 4.4 million Australians living with a disability and, in particular, the 660,000 plus Australians with an intellectual disability. For the majority of these people, owning a home is impossible without financial support from their families. With the loss of this support, they can find themselves in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-660-000-locked-out-of-home-ownership-74926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">precarious or even abusive situations</a>. Stuck in a cycle of temporary accommodation or forced into group homes (or even nursing homes) <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/202203/Overview%20of%20responses%20to%20the%20Group%20homes%20Issues%20paper.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with little control</a> over where and who they live with. If the entire premise of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is to give people more choice and autonomy over their lives, then that must extend to people’s fundamental needs for appropriate housing. To uphold the <a href="https://accessandinclusionindex.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access and inclusion</a> rights of people with a disability, their housing needs must be a priority. One alternative gaining traction in Australia is the <a href="https://buildinglifeskills.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-design, co-living model</a> which could offer a range of benefits for people living with a disability. Living at the end of the road People in Australia living with a disability have <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-just-leave-it-to-the-ndis-to-create-cities-that-work-to-include-people-with-disability-93419" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less access</a> to services, social activities, and green spaces compared to people without a disability. Over the last decade, market-driven approaches to disability housing in Australia have favoured cost effectiveness and replication, leading to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10901-016-9499-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited design diversity, innovation and choice</a>. At a planning level, this has produced <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272366148_Movement_on_Shifting_Sands_Deinstitutionalisation_and_People_with_Intellectual_Disability_in_Australia_1974-2014%20&%20https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/disability-accessibility-and-sustainable-urban-development.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">socially isolated dwellings</a> with inadequate consideration of mobility, access to nature, and access to community spaces and services. We know the built environment around us can have <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/built-environment-and-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">positive and negative effects on our health</a> – from determining activity levels, to food access, to our contact with nature and social spaces. It also affects the air we breathe, water we drink and shelter from the elements. Residents of highly green neighbourhoods, for instance, have <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5420708_Associations_of_neighbourhood_greenness_with_physical_and_mental_health_Do_walking_social_coherence_and_local_social_interaction_explain_the_relationships" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.37 and 1.6 times greater odds</a> of better physical and mental health than those who perceive their neighbourhood as less green. Profit-driven design In general, commercial housing developments are not accessible. Designs are driven by costs and wide scale trends. When required, housing may meet the minimum accessibility requirements but almost never considers the end-user needs. This can create inappropriate environments, which then <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275226130_The_Provision_of_Visitable_Housing_in_Australia_Down_to_the_Detail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require modification</a> for individuals – a wasteful and costly approach. Even housing with the express design purpose of being accessible can fail. A recent survey found <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275226130_The_Provision_of_Visitable_Housing_in_Australia_Down_to_the_Detail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only 44% of accessible housing</a> complied with the <a href="https://livablehousingaustralia.org.au/design-guidelines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liveable Housing Design Guidelines</a>. Conversely, when we focus on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2022.2060343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">successful housing projects</a> for people living with a disability, we see common architectural features: inviting communal spaces; private individual dwellings; commercial opportunities for residents; and on-site support. Well-designed buildings “speak” to their environments too – be it the footpath or the grove – and <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/arq-architectural-research-quarterly/article/abs/sustainable-community-and-environment-in-tropical-singapore-highrise-housing-the-case-of-bedok-court-condominium/E65ABF71130F6881C1904F651C1DDA4F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foster community</a> connection. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We look forward to working with <a href="https://twitter.com/billshortenmp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billshortenmp</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianLabor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianLabor</a> to get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDIS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NDIS</a> participants the housing they need, when they need it. That means faster, accurate decisions on housing and support. Australians with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/disability?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#disability</a> deserve the security of living in their own home. <a href="https://t.co/47TULoiptM">pic.twitter.com/47TULoiptM</a> — Summer Foundation (@SummerFoundtn) <a href="https://twitter.com/SummerFoundtn/status/1537601252116381699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2022</a></blockquote> Could co-housing be the answer? Many recipients of the NDIS would <a href="https://theconversation.com/ndis-needs-the-market-to-help-make-up-at-least-60-shortfall-in-specialist-disability-housing-93479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like to live independently</a> in their own home but with easy access to onsite support. A connected model could be the answer. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10901-016-9499-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Co-housing</a> is the idea of semi-communal living that includes shared facilities and public space, self-governance, and design input from potential residents. Studies show how health and well-being is improved by living in deliberate and dedicated co-housing. This may be explained by <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Exploring-the-relationship-between-social-and-Wardle/b4b89ebee41b03434bf2df234930d9e705679b1c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greater social inclusion and less loneliness</a>. People in co-housing also have reduced care needs compared to those living in conventional circumstances – <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.17269/s41997-018-0163-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13% of residents compared to 22%</a>, a gap which widens significantly with age. More research is needed, but there also seems to be a link between less <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263247830_Community_and_Civil_Society_Returns_of_Multi-generation_Cohousing_in_Germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chronic disease and lower impairment</a> and co-housing. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> One in four Americans has a serious cognitive or physical disability. Could co-housing change their lives forever? <a href="https://t.co/S0og5JTALe">https://t.co/S0og5JTALe</a> <a href="https://t.co/dMVCCjEUm4">pic.twitter.com/dMVCCjEUm4</a> — Reasons to be Cheerful (@RTB_Cheerful) <a href="https://twitter.com/RTB_Cheerful/status/1304801963645730818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote> These ideas in practice We were involved as designers of a proposed co-housing project in Perth’s south-east in Western Australia. The idea was instigated by the clients and families of <a href="https://buildingfriendships.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Building Friendships</a>, a disability service provider that facilitates social outings and short trips to assist with developing life skills through community interactions. The project uses co-site selection and co-design sessions with end-users to create better design outcomes and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262690855_Transformational_Practices_in_Cohousing_Enhancing_Residents'_Connection_to_Community_and_Nature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">build social capital</a> from the beginning. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465305/original/file-20220525-13-lxxvsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="artist's image of proposed housing development with trees around" /></a><figcaption>The Perth project is based on a co-housing model. Author provided</figcaption></figure> The design includes 20 private pod houses with a central hub where residents gather, cook, socialise, and learn new skills including gardening in an existing and successful veggie growing enterprise. There are also on-site support services. The project draws inspiration from domestic projects such as <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/625274/walumba-elders-centre-iredale-pedersen-hook-architects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walumba Elders Centre</a> in Warman, WA, and international examples such as the <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/981031/group-home-on-hilltop-sogo-aud?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Home on Hilltop</a> in Hachioji, Japan. At the heart of these examples lies good locations, good buildings, and opportunities to live alongside others: community, amenity and quality of space. This shouldn’t really be unusual or remarkable. Fundamental to this approach is simply raising the bar for people living with a disability to that of everyone else.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183523/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-cameron-1328562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Cameron</a>, Associate Lecturer/Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-jan-martin-1349031" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Jan Martin</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-van-eyk-1349999">Emily Van Eyk</a>, Lecturer & Architect, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-ramps-and-doorways-disability-housing-is-about-choosing-where-how-and-who-you-live-with-183523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Real Estate

DJ slammed for playing offensive song to disabled prom queen

A DJ has faced major backlash online after playing Ed Sheeran’s hit single “thinking out loud” as a handicapped prom queen took to the dance floor in her wheelchair. The opening line of the song being “when your legs don’t work like they used to before” was played for Sarah – who was in her wheelchair set to dance with the prom king. Things certainly turned awkward as those in the crowd gasped. Sarah Mendenhall, 23, suffers from a rare neurological condition called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), which causes muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, was crowned as prom queen at her school dance when the unfortunate incident took place. A video posted to TikTok by classmate Celeste Orozco showed the two standing in the center of the dance floor while someone placed crowns on their heads; but when the song came on, many people at the event became uncomfortable. Numerous onlookers in the crowd showed their discomfort by letting out gasps and yelling at the DJ, whose identity remains unknown. 'This would haunt me the rest of my life if I were the DJ,' Celeste captioned the clip, which has been viewed more than 17 million times. <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@celesteiliana__/video/7114819205861608747" data-video-id="7114819205861608747"> <section><a title="@celesteiliana__" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@celesteiliana__" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@celesteiliana__</a> a prom queen crowning moment to remember <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fyp</a> <a title="foryoupage" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foryoupage</a> <a title="highschool" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/highschool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#highschool</a> <a title="promqueen" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/promqueen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#promqueen</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Celeste Orozco" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7114819186958715694" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Celeste Orozco</a></section> </blockquote> However, Sarah wants everyone to know that she wasn't offended by the song choice. 'Hey everyone so this is me,' she wrote in the comment section of the viral clip. 'I found it really funny and ironic.' She added that she 'didn’t know what was playing until way after' because she was so focused on trying to 'dance.' Celeste added, 'We had a great prom night and a good laugh about it the next day.' It appeared that Sarah, who was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease in October 2016, had an amazing night despite the mishap, posting a clip of herself spinning around in the wheelchair on the dance floor to her own TikTok account, writing, 'Just making a core memory. Thats all.' Images: Tiktok

Body

“Not treated as human beings”: Disabled children left behind in Ukraine

An investigation by a human rights organisation has found that children with severe disabilities have been “dumped” in children’s homes that are too overrun to care for them. <a href="https://www.driadvocacy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disability Rights International</a> carried out the investigation, finding that the children were tied to their beds in understaffed institutions whose remaining staff were unable to cope. Halyna Kurylo, a representative of the organisation, visited an institution in south west Ukraine and said the children there were not being “treated as human beings”. “Because of their disabilities, they’re not treated as human beings, they are only kept alive here,” Ms Kurylo said. “My heart breaks as a mother of two children. “Even though they’re in a safe place, their state will deteriorate because they are not getting any kind of stimulation, any kind of rehabilitation and to me, this is further disabling them.” After gaining exclusive access to a western Ukrainian institution, the BBC reported that its staff has been caring for 22 teenage girls from the east who were left behind by their carers, who fled to other countries with “the less disabled children”. “They (former carers) were so selfish that they ran out of here as fast as they could,” Vasyl Markulin, the director of the institution, told the BBC. “I thought they would come here and tell us who had epilepsy, who was incontinent and so on. “But then they sat here until lunchtime and left.” The report from the human rights organisation comes just over a month after the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities warned that the lives of an estimated 2.7 million people with disabilities could be at risk in the conflict. “People with disabilities have limited or no access to emergency information, shelters and safe havens, and many have been separated from their support networks, leaving them unable to respond to the situation and navigate their surroundings,” the council said in <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/04/ukraine-27-million-people-disabilities-risk-un-committee-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a statement</a>. The council indicated that a lack of reports of people with disabilities having reached the border or been internally displaced suggests that many haven’t been able to flee to safety. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>: As a result of Russia's military aggression, the UN Cttee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urges States+UN+civil society+stakeholders to ensure people w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/disabilities?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#disabilities</a> are accounted for, protected+provided w/ access to humanitarian aid: <a href="https://t.co/mTHVpZ1Lbn">https://t.co/mTHVpZ1Lbn</a> <a href="https://t.co/JorLknN3kx">pic.twitter.com/JorLknN3kx</a> — UN Treaty Bodies (@UNTreatyBodies) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNTreatyBodies/status/1514638075825168387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote> “The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities when meeting their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law,” the statement continued. “Ratified by both the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the Convention requires States to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of people with disabilities in situations of risk, including armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies.” The committee called on Russia to end its hostilities immediately and urged both countries, UN agencies, and others involved in the conflict to “recognise and respond to the pleas and requirements of people with disabilities” caught in the middle. “Measures need to be taken to ensure that all people with disabilities are accounted for, protected and provided with immediate access to humanitarian aid, taking into account their individual support requirements,” the committee said, concluding that it would continue to monitor the situation. To see the full BBC story, click <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-61325277" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: BBC News (YouTube)

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Travellers with disability often face discrimination. What should change and how to complain

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Disabled woman dies after firefighters go to wrong address

Carer allowance and disability pension set to increase

Disabled woman slams bus driver who refused to let her onboard

Heavily pregnant mum and disabled child kicked off plane

Ableism and disablism – how to spot them and how we can all do better

Woman slams parking note asking if she was “truly disabled”

Outrage after Aus Post driver caught parking in disability spot

"Broke my heart": Mum's outrage at stranger's comment about her disabled son

“Doesn’t seem okay to me”: Police slammed for parking in disabled spot

How on-demand buses can transform travel and daily life for people with disabilities

Woman slammed for asking disabled man to move on the bus

Disabled woman dragged off train by police

Disability pensioner calls himself the "unluckiest" lotto winner

Disabled woman slams Jetstar for “extremely humiliating” treatment

"I am devastated": Disabled boy's modified tricycle stolen

Not just ramps and doorways – disability housing is about choosing where, how and who you live with

DJ slammed for playing offensive song to disabled prom queen

“Not treated as human beings”: Disabled children left behind in Ukraine

Our Partners

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Travellers with disability often face discrimination. What should change and how to complain

Disabled customer "crushed" by Coles' new smart gate

Disabled woman dies after firefighters go to wrong address

Carer allowance and disability pension set to increase

Disabled woman slams bus driver who refused to let her onboard

Heavily pregnant mum and disabled child kicked off plane

Ableism and disablism – how to spot them and how we can all do better

Woman slams parking note asking if she was “truly disabled”

Outrage after Aus Post driver caught parking in disability spot

"Broke my heart": Mum's outrage at stranger's comment about her disabled son

“Doesn’t seem okay to me”: Police slammed for parking in disabled spot

How on-demand buses can transform travel and daily life for people with disabilities

Woman slammed for asking disabled man to move on the bus

Disabled woman dragged off train by police

Disability pensioner calls himself the "unluckiest" lotto winner

Disabled woman slams Jetstar for “extremely humiliating” treatment

"I am devastated": Disabled boy's modified tricycle stolen

Not just ramps and doorways – disability housing is about choosing where, how and who you live with

DJ slammed for playing offensive song to disabled prom queen

“Not treated as human beings”: Disabled children left behind in Ukraine

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